The European Union's Role in South Asia

This book delineates the role and evolution of the European Union (EU) as an instrument of soft power in relation to South Asian countries. It explains the EU's development policy towards South Asia and examines its cooperation while attempting to assess the extent to which EU's development policy can be an instrument of soft power. In addition to examining the development challenges in South Asian countries and the impact of the EU's development assistance on them, this book describes the various theoretical approaches on the concept of development, along with the interplay of aid politics in international relations (IR). Primarily, it assesses how the EU's development policy emerged as a significant instrument of power towards developing countries. This book will be useful to students, scholars, and researchers of development studies, political science, sociology, economics, foreign policy, diplomacy, area and regional studies, South Asian studies, EU politics and European integration, international relations, and public administration. It will also be an indispensable companion for EU policymakers, NGOs and civil societies, South Asian states' policymakers, and general readers interested in learning more about development diplomacy and soft power.

Simant Shankar Bharti is assistant professor at the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw. He received his doctorate in political science and public administration, focusing on development diplomacy and soft power (international relations) from the University of Warsaw, Poland. Dr. Bharti has a distinguished academic career, with over 35 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, commentary, and media reviews. Following his PhD, Dr. Bharti's primary research areas are the Global South, emerging powers and postcolonialism in international relations.

Introduction 1. Understanding the European Union Development Policy 2. European Union Development Policy and Soft Power in International Relations 3. Development and Opportunities in South Asia 4. Selected Social Development Issues and Challenges in South Asia 5. Environmental, Extremism and Regional Challenges in South Asia 6. The European Union Development Policy Towards South Asia 7. The EU Developmental Engagement in South Asian Countries 8. The EU Development Policy Responding to Development Challenges in South Asia 9. The EU Economic Assistance through Trade and Investment in South Asia 10. South Asian Perspectives of the EU Development Policy in Region 11. The EU Development Policy as an Instrument of Soft Power in South Asia Conclusions